A Decade of Innovation - Arecont’s Approach to the EMEA Market

In 2013 Arecont celebrated its 10 years anniversary. Within these ten years the ­company was a major driving force in the industry‘s transition from analog to IP video surveillance systems. The transition to IP is one of several market factors stimulating the deployment of megapixel cameras for mainstream video surveillance applications. Better performance at lower cost has always been Arecont's approach for this challenge. As the EMEA market was an early adaptor to megapixel video imaging and IP network systems it is a natural move for Arecont to further strengthen its position within this market. Heiko Baumgartner had the opportunity to talk to Ivo Drent, ­Arecont's Vice President of European Sales at their new European headquarter in Frankfurt, Germany.

GIT-SECURITY.com: A lot has happened in the last 10 years since Arecont was founded. How is the business going at the moment?

Ivo Drent: Just to give you an impression: Some days ago during a phone conference with our CEO he mentioned that in September this year we had as much revenue as in the whole year five years ago.

I assume that a big part of the success is the megapixel cameras and panoramic systems you offer. Where do you see the advantages these systems offer the customer?

Ivo Drent: There are two main fields where our systems are especially strong. In a lot of applications megapixel cameras do now replace several fixed analog or low resolution IP cameras to survey large areas. Customers get a better system performance at lower costs plus a higher image quality they can use to identify the face of a suspect or to read a license plate number of a passing vehicle. The second segment where we are very successful at the moment are customers who previously relied on pan-tilt-zoom cameras to cover larger areas. As a PTZ camera can only point in one direction at a time, this creates a significant risk for missing an important or security-threatening event in another part of the coverage area. The wider views delivered by megapixel cameras provide a much stronger solution. Multi-megapixel cameras provide a more complete coverage and users can do "virtual" PTZ in live or archived video without the risk of missing crucial events. This does also help operators not to "panic" in case of an incident and concentrate on the right actions to be taken.

What is new Arecont's product pipeline?

Ivo Drent: We have just launched a unique new addition to our line of SurroundVideo. The new SurroundVideo Omni cameras feature four multi-megapixel sensors that can be individually adjusted to capture different fields of view within a full 360° range. This allows a single camera to provide detailed coverage of a wide area including the ability to provide views directly under the camera or multiple fields of view using a variety of different lens options. The cameras set a new benchmark in wide area surveillance by simultaneously focusing on multiple areas of specific interest within a scene using a single camera solution. The cameras will be available from 5 MP up to 20 MP configurations and feature our Wide Dynamic Range technology in the 12 MP configuration. It delivers a dynamic range of up to 100 dB at full resolution without lowering the frame rates.
There are other panoramic cameras in the market. What makes this series so unique?

Ivo Drent: The fact that every sensor can be individually adjusted is new, so each sensor is directed in exact the direction needed for a specific scenario. All signals from the sensors are aligned within the system and deliver a picture that gives the user a perfect overview of the whole coverage area. Having four sensors means the resolution is optimized across the entire image. With a single-sensor camera, you would typically use a fish-eye lens that has less resolution as you move toward the edge.

It seems like Arecont likes to combine different technologies in one system?

Ivo Drent: You are right. Combining as many valuable technical features into one system as possible is a good concept as we move forward with IP technology. We combine Megapixel technology with Wide Dynamic Range and low light capabilities in the SurroundVideo Omni cameras. Customers no longer accept IP cameras with high resolution that do not allow you to see fast moving objects or are underperforming when it gets dark. Another good example for the combination of different technologies in one product is our micro dome where the customer does not need to decide between a small dome, Megapixel technology, WDR or low light performance. He gets everything in one product.

Product performance is an important issue but integration into the surveillance system is important too. Does Arecont offer its own video management software?

Ivo Drent: No, we believe in the "best-of-breed" concept, so we concentrate on developing great cameras and leave the software part to our VMS partners. There are so many opportunities to improve high performance video surveillance systems. Details are important like our new dome bubbles that enable clear pictures for 10 MP dome cameras or the quality of lenses. Integration is also crucial like for example the integration of 180° IR beamers we developed with ­Raytec or the cooperation with storage partners.

How does the cooperation with your partners look like?

Ivo Drent: We work very close together with our VMS partner to make the integration of our cameras as easy as possible and ensure a high level of integration. The thorough testing facilities at our MegaLab in Los Angeles ensure smooth integration of megapixel cameras with third party systems. Quality assurance engineers oversee the MegaLab integration and load performance testing. As we are more present in the EMEA region now, it is easier to cooperate with European VMS partners that operate with a more regional focus. Establishing one new MegaLab in Europe will help us to cooperate with software, storage and integration partners in the EMEA region.

How do you see the EMEA market and what can we expect from Arecont in our region?

Ivo Drent: The EMEA market was an early adaptor to megapixel video imaging and IP network systems and it is a market that still has great potential for growth. The different countries are in different phases of their adoption to IP technology and we adjust our service to regional requirements. In the UK for example we are structured by regions while in France we concentrate on key verticals like city surveillance and logistics. In general establishing stronger relationships with key distributors and system integrators in the different countries is our key task and will be crucial to accelerate our growth in Europe. I am looking forward to contribute to that together with the European sales team. At the moment we expand our sales and service team in all key countries and we aim to have 14 people located in Europe by the end of this year. With our new headquarter in Frankfurt we have the opportunity now to host customer trainings and integration workshops. We will expand our service and technical hotline so that every customer gets help in his language and we will establish the first MegaLab outside the US here in Frankfurt.